Ornamental clasp



Nov. 19, 1935. o, F PLAcco ORNAMENTAL CLASP Filed April 30, 1934 VPatented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITEDI STATES PATENT oFFieE vORNAMENTAL CLASP Application April 30, 1934, Serial No. 723,192

21 Claims.

My present invention relates to ornamental jewelry clasps suitable for personal wear, and has particular reference to ornamental clasps suitable for use as containers or holders.

The ornamental clasps now in use are essentially decorative, and include parts suitable for releasable engagement with a dress, a hat, or the like, and an ornament thereto for imparting the desiredl decorative effect. Such clasps are not adapted for use as holders or containers for other articles, such as for example ower bouquet, bars or other ornamental arrangements.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a clasp or clip which is decorative per se, and which is formed to receive and retain an additional decorative article, whereby a more attractive result is obtained.'

A further object of my invention is to provide a structure for the ornamental clasp which will releasably retain the additional decorative article, whereby articles of different contours or colors may be readily interchanged for use in the clasp.

'Another object of my invention is to provide a decorative clasp construction which can receive and retain artielesof different diameter, this arrangement being particularly suitable for iiower bouquets and the like. v

With the above an-dvother objects and advantageous features in View, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts which is more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and

' is more specifically defined in the claims append ed thereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a plan view of the novel clasp, a flower bouquet being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 isa perspective view of the clasp mechanism, the parts being in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to-Fig. 2, the parts being in open position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the clasp mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified retaining means;

i Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified clasp arrangement, the clasp being in open position; Y

Fig. 7 is aperspective View showing the modied clasp in closed position, with replaceable ornament; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the replaceable ornament. i

I have devised a novel clasp mechanism which can releasably hold an ornament, and which is ,pinned to an article, such as a dress, a hat or any other suitable support, and has an orna- 5 mental top so that it may be used alone if desired, or may be opened to permit insertion of a replaceable ornament of any shape or color which is rigidly held in the clasp. Moreover, since certain inserts such as flower bouquets or the like have relatively bulky stems, I have provided an adjustable holding arrangement for the clasp top so that an insert of greater diameter than would be accommodated with the clasp in normal closed position can be used. The preferred construction suitable for the desired purpose is more specifically described hereinbelow, in connection with the illustrative figures.

Referring to the drawing, the novel clasp it is illustrated in Fig. 1 as holding a bouquet of flowers, and consists of an ornamental layer il which is permanently secured to a top plate l2, the top plate l2 being hingedly secured to a base plate I3. which in turn cooperates with a hingedly secured leaf I4 for releasable attachment tc 25 a cloth, fabric or the like'. The various parts are preferably stamped out of sheet metal, but may be formed of any desired' material having the necessary physical characteristics. The top plate l2 is stamped or cut to provide a spring tongue l5 which cooperates with an adjustable stop arm I6, the stop arm being preferably formed integral with the base plate i3 and being bent upwardly in an arcuate manner as disclosed in Fig. 4, the upper portion having a series of serrations I'l which selectively cooperate with the spring tongue l5 to vreleasably lock the top plate l2 in any desired position relative to the base plate I3. The top plate has a latch member i8, see Fig. 3 at its free end adapted to releasably engage a spring catch I9 fastened to the end of the base plate.

Means are provided for releasably holding a decorativedevice in the clasp, a preferred mechanism for this purpose consisting of an upstand- Aing prong Zll which is preferably stamped from l on the prong 20, as the coaction of the spring tongue l5 with the serrations I1 provides a selective lock.

The hinge leaf i4 coacts with the base plate so as to releasably secure the base plate to a garment or the like, and is provided with any well known spring lock mechanism suitable for this purpose.

If desired, the prong Eil may be replaced by two spring arms 2l, 22, which may be stamped out of the base plate 23, whereby the clasp eX- ercises a gentle grip on any article positioned between the spring arms and the top plate; this construction of the clasp may be used for purposes such as holding a handkerchief or the like, and may be secured to or form a part of a Ybracelet or a sleeve for this purpose.

The novel arrangement may be used for re- V'taining ornamental elements of diierent shapes or colors to suit the requirements of different designers. Thus, the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 includes a base plate 2.4i which is formed to cooperate with a plurality of top plates 25 and to provide a plurality of spaced retaining prongs 2t, each top plate having an ornamental layer or the like 2l and being provided with a spring tongue 2t which selectively engages serrations 29 on' lock members 30 forming part of the base plate, in the manner previously disclosed for. a single clasp. An ornament element of any desired form or'color such as for example indi- Yc'ated as Si in Fig. 8, is releasably retained in ,the clasp, the ornament element being provided with a series of openings or the like '32 adapted to releasably engage the retaining prongs 25, whereby different elements may be releasably inserted in the claspYso as to permit the purchaser tchave a wide choice of ornaments. In this modication it is preferred to use a pin element 33 which VVis hingedly secured to the lower side of the base plate as at 34, the front end being releasably retained by engagement with any pin end catch 35 of standard form.

It is thus evident that the novel clasp is ornamental per se, and is adapted to releasably retain a selected ornament, thus affording the purchaser' an ornament holder of wide application. The novel clasp may be used for other purposes such as will readily suggest themselves to a purchaser; Yfor example, it may be used as a shoulder clasp to receive the shoulder strap and the slip strap, thereby preventing separation or movement of the slip strap from beneath the shoulder strap,

While I have described a specic constructional embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that desired changes` in the size, the proportion, the material of the parts, and their relative arrangement and function, may be made to suit YYthe requirements of different designers, Without departing from the spirit andthe scope of the Y invention-as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. In combination, a base, a top hinged at onek ftop in selective position relative .to saidV base,

said'means comprising a member on. said base having spaced stops andk a spring member on said top engageable with said spaced stops. 4. In combination, a base, a top hinged atene end thereto, means positioned adjacent Ythe 5 the hinged connection for releasably locking said l5 topY in selective position relative to said base, said base having ornament engaging means.

6. In combination, aV base, Va top hinged at one end thereto, means positioned adjacent the hinged connection for releasably locking said top 2-0 in selective position relative to said base,v and additional means for releasably locking the other end of said top to saldbase, said base having Vornament engaging means. Y

'7. In combination, a base, a top hinged at one 25 end thereto, and means positioned adjacent the hinged connection for releasably locking saidrtop in selective position relative to said base, said` means comprising a member on said'base having spaced stops andV a spring member on said top IiO` engageable with said spaced stops, said base havV Ving ornament engaging means.

8. In combination, a base, a top hingedat one end thereto, means positioned,y adjacent the Y hinged connection forV releasably locking said top u in selective position relative to said base, Vand additional means. for releasably locking the other end of said top to said basefsaid first means comprising a member on said base having spaced stops and a spring member on said top engagelli()` able with said spaced stops, said base having Y ornament engaging means.

9. In combination, a base, a top hinged atV one end thereto, means positioned adjacent the hinged connection for releasably locking said top 45 in selective position relative to said base, and a clamp member associatedfwith'sa'id base for lock# ing said base to a garment part.

10. In combination, a base, a top hinged at one end thereto, means for releasably' locking said 50 top in selective position'relative to said base, additional means for releasably locking the other end of said top to said base, and a clamp member associated with said base for lockingsaid baseto a garment part. Y

11. In combination, a base, atop Yhinged at oneV end thereto, means for releasably locking said;

top in selective position relative to said base, said` means comprising a memberV on said base having spaced stops and aspring member on said top60 engageable with said spaced stops, and a clamp member associatedxwith said base for locking said base to a garment part.- Y

12. In combination, a base, a top hinged at one end thereto, means for releasably locking said 55 top in selective position relative to said base, additional means for releasably locking :the Aother end of saidtop to said base, said rst means comprising a member, on said base having spaced, stops and a spring member on said top engage-1 70 able with said spaced stops, and a clamp meniber associated with said base for locking said base to a garment'part. Y Y Y 13. In combination, a base, a plurality o1' Y spaced'tops each hingedly connected thereto, and `"i means for releasably locking said tops individually in selective position relative to said base.

14. In combination, a base, a plurality of spaced tops each hingedly connected thereto, means for releasably locking said tops individually in selective position relative to said base, and additional means for releasably locking the other ends of said tops to said base.

15. In combination, a4 b-ase, a plurality vof spaced tops each hingedly connected thereto, and means for releasably locking said tops individually in selective position relative to said base, said base having ornament engaging means associated with each top.

16. In combination, a base,- a plurality of spaced tops each hingedly connected thereto, means for releasably locking said tops individually in selective position relative lto said base, said base having ornament engaging means assoc!- ated with each top, and means associated with said base for locking said base toy a garment part.

17. In combination, a base member, a top member hinged at one end thereof, means for releasably locking said top member in selective position relative to said base member, comprising an element forming part of one member and having a plurality of detents, and a second element forming part of the other member and selectively engageable with said detents, said elements being positioned adjacent the hinge con-- nection, and means on said base member for releasably securing said base member to a garment part.

18. In combination, a base member, a top member hinged at one end thereto, and means for releasably locking said top member in selective position relative to said base member, comprising an element forming part of the base member and having a plurality of detents, and a 19. In combination, a base member, a top 5 member hinged at one end thereof, means for releasably locking said top member in selective position relative to said base member, comprising an element forming part of the base member and having a plurality of detents, and a second element forming part of the top member and selectively engageable with said detents, said ele-v ments being positioned adjacent the hinge connection, and means on said base member for re'- leasably securing said base member to a garment part.

20. In combination, a base member, a top member hinged at one end thereof by means of spaced hinges, means for releasably locking said top member in selective position relative to said 2o base member, comprising an element forming part of one member and positioned between the spaced hinges and having a plurality of detents, and a spring nger forming part of the other member and selectively engageable with said detents.

21. In combination, a base member, a top member hinged at one end thereof by means of spaced hinges, means for releasably locking said top member in selective position relative to said base member, comprising an element forming part of one member and positioned between the spaced hinges and having a plurality of detents, and a spring nger forming part of the other member and selectively engageable with said detents, and means on said base member for releasably securing said base member to a garment part.

OSCAR FRANK PLACCO. 

